


Back to School

by Maxil_Gal



Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-14 05:27:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5731057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maxil_Gal/pseuds/Maxil_Gal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Central Area High School was struck by a teacher-strike four years ago, and it is still reeling from the sudden change. Desperate for new teachers, the administration has finally been able to form a somewhat coherent staff of young teachers that used to attend the High School. To remain open, the school has to put out an above average class, and this is the last year. Many of the senior teachers begin to calm down knowing they might even keep their jobs, but during the year, a sudden and tragic event causes the faculty to reflect on when, they too, were teenagers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Similar Surroundings

Kim flipped through her planner eagerly. It was the first day of school. The first day in her very own classroom. The first day of her job as a long-term teacher. She couldn’t believe how lucky she had been that her school had given her this job, especially with so little experience. She thought back to when she first stepped into the school again. It felt like going back in time. Especially when her old friend, Duncan Jones, walked around the corner and hit her square in the face. He wore a large hoodie with a blue scarf, and was covered in a white labcoat. Kim, being infinitely smaller than him, stumbled backwards from the collision. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Are you alright? I didn’t see-” He stopped when she pushed her hair away from her eyes and he got his first good look at her. “Kim? Kim Richards?”

“Duncan Jones! I wondered where you had gotten to after graduation.” She laughed and shook his hand. He smiled broadly at her and questioned why she had come back. “I’m going to talk to Mr. Lane and Dr. Brindley. They want to give me a job.”

“Oh! This is great. It was amazing to see you again Kim, but I shouldn’t keep you waiting. I have to hurry back to my class. We’re seeing what it takes to make gummies explode.” Before she could speak, he was running down the hallway towards the stair-well. 

That was 4 months ago, and Kim was now ready to receive her homeroom class. Her syllabi were neatly organized into piles, ready for each period class she had. Kim checked her watch eagerly. It was 6:50. She had at least 40 minutes until kids would show up. She decided to walk down to the faculty lounge and get herself a cup of coffee. What she didn’t expect to happen was a full out brawl in it.

“Goddamnit Parvis! I’m going to smash that damn guitar over your head!” 

“Aww, Strifey-kins. I never knew you could be such a romantic.” A tall, blonde, and frankly enraged American was cornering a thinner, dark haired man with a guitar. The blonde swung again, narrowly missing his victims shoulder.

“If I hear your goddamn guitar music AGAIN, I’m going to deliberately show my students what it’s like to be turned inside out!” Strife tugged his black vest down and fixed his hair quickly. he was wearing a red shirt, with said black vest and a pair of dark dress pants. 

“Uhm,” Kim said, unsure of what to do. The two men turned and Strife turned bright pink.

“Oh dear. I’m so sorry madame. How can we help you?”

“How can you help her, Strife? You’re an econ teach-” He was very quickly jabbed in the stomach with Strife’s weaponized guitar.

“I just came for a cup of coffee. I can leave, unless one of you is actually planning murder, then I’m obliged to watch this fight to the death.” Parvis snickered while Strife mumbled another apology. Kim smiled and shook her head. “The name’s Richards, by the way. Kim Richards. I’m the new 11th grade English and Journalism teach.” She poured three creamers in and a single packet of sugar. It was the only way she took her coffee. “I’ll see you around then.” While walking back to her class, she thought back to when she was a freshman. There were two boys, very similar to them, who were rumoured to be in a relationship. It was just gossip. One was a small, scared boy and the other was going to college on a football scholarship. It was just banter that smart kids waived off as false. And Kim believed them.


	2. A Big Step

Zoey finished the banner just as her alarm went off. It read “WELCOME NEW STUDENTS!” in bright red sparkle letters. Sometimes she couldn’t believe how good she was. The round wooden tables were comfortably placed around the room, and a paper at each desked described what her class was. Fun, creative, and a chance to be yourself. She always prided herself in her class being a positive zone for her students, especially those with mental illnesses or personal problems...even though the only practice she had before today was with her stuffed animal collection.

“Zoey, today’s the big day.” She turned around to see her girlfriend, Fiona (who worked at a high-end restaurant across town) strode up to her. They embraced and kissed each other’s cheek gently, like feathers against skin. “Are you sure you’re up for this? I don’t want you doing anything you aren’t comfortable with.” Zoey smiled at Fiona.

“I’ll be fine. Now go, you’re going to be late for work.”

“Alright...love you babe.”

“Love you more…”

“Love you the most.” Fiona walked out of the class and left Zoey by herself, to think about what this entailed. She had to come, every day. She had to be here for these kids...and for herself. Fixing her brightly colored rainbow scarf, she skipped into her supply closet to see if she had any crayons. 

Before she could complete her task, she heard students walk into her room. She suddenly felt scared. Despite everything, she walked out, hands full with two buckets of crayons. The few students that had entered stared at her wild nature. She wore a pair of paint stained jeans with a grey and silver striped t-shirt. Her bangs covered her eyes slightly, and the scarf around her neck were all kinds of shades of strange. 

“Hello! I’m Ms. Proasheck, but you can call me Zoey, and I’ll be teaching you guys for this semester.” One kid looked around the room at the fairy lights strung up overhead, and the banner too. No one said anything until a small girl with black hair finally spoke.

“Hi…”

“So, let me start learning your names.” She moved towards a boy with curly hair who was staring at her ‘HEY!’ paper (which she preferred to call her syllabi). “What about you? Name, age, favorite power ranger?”

“Uhm...I’m Wes...I’m 16 and I like...red ranger?”

“Great! Nice to meet you Wes. And you?” She moved along the rows, asking different questions about them. Sometimes, she hit a person’s interest and their eyes lit up with excitement. In her homeroom she had, Wes, Sandler, Quentin, Jane, Angie, Robyn, Xandra, Thomas, Katie, Catheryn, Oliver, Brook, Madison James (referred to as MJ), Alex, Alec, and Tim. Small, but it was a good start for her. Easing her way into school.

She remembered when she was new to school. She had moved in the beginning of her Sophomore year and...Central Area High School wasn’t the most accepting of her. She had been shunned, bullied, and abused in more ways than one, and she was determined to make a safe place for kids who might be like her.

“Alright! Now that we’ve settled down, let’s go over the papers at your tables.”


	3. Japes and Java

Duncan was quite pleased with how his morning classes had gone. A double Chem lab where he had explained how atoms were super small and how they made up everything. And allowed the kids to make atoms with covalent bonds from marshmallows and toothpicks. This was followed by a Academic-Support class and then his one Robotics class. Busy, but exciting none the less. The universal free period around the school allowed the kids to get work done, to relax, and try and refresh themselves. There were many places to do this, such as the library or the small coffee-hangout on the east wing, but all the teachers went to the lounge. It was small, cramped, and very dingy. There was a well-used coffee maker that had seen better days, along with a microwave from the 90’s and a plaid couch with stuffing poking out at every other corner. But it was the only place where they could talk among themselves. 

As Duncan waltzed in, whistling to himself, he could tell it was a tense day. The new physics teacher, Rick “Zylus” van Laanen was once again at the throat of Nicholas Buccino Daltos, a long-term history substitute teacher. They also, unluckily, happened to be neighbors and were constantly bickering on who owned a certain pool between their homes.

“It’s on my side! I told you that everything left of the raspberry bushes is mine!”

“Those bushes have been overgrown for at least two months. At least half of them are mine, anyway.”

“My mother planted those bushes herself! I didn’t know she planted them next to your fence but she did all the same.” Duncan walked past them, glad that they were in different departments. Any closer than opposite ends of the school and they might cause WWIII. He poured his coffee and began dumping cream into the cup.

“Careful, you don’t want too much coffee with your cream.” He looked up quickly and saw Kim, dressed in a dark gray skirt and blue shirt. She held an empty coffee cup in one hand and a clipboard in the other.

“Hey. Hey!” He put his cup down and moved out of the way for her. She quickly scooted up to the coffee station. “Good first day, so far?”

“Yes. The classes seem like they’ll be fine, and I have a lot of interested kids in my Journalism course. So, what happened to you...after graduation I mean?”

“Engineering at Manchester. Not bad, got an Art minor too...but my parents wanted me out of the house and I did a teaching job in Madagascar through Peace Corp. Then I decided to get my graduate and this was the only place that would take me. Apparently they had a huge strike and everyone quit. When I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE. They had to get an entirely new roster. And they mostly got old alumni to fit into the jobs.”

“Sheesh. No wonder I got one right out of school.” She sipped her cup and looked around at the few teachers in the room with her. There was Zylus, Daltos, but also Ms. Rutherford, an english teacher, and Mr. MacKay, the drama teacher who had the exceptional talent for speeches and other long, epic, monologues. There was also Mr. Sykes, an agriculture and architecture teacher (a strange combination indeed). Kim recognized almost all of them, and she couldn’t help but glare at Sykes. They had been her classmates, and now they were co-workers. It was going to be an interesting year indeed.


	4. The Art Teacher

“I’m worried about Wes Cassle, Lewis.” Zoey was tapping her leg worriedly. She hadn’t talked to Dr. Brindley, the school’s vice principal, in such a long time, but he was looking at her gently. His head nodded as she explained how he expressed his loneliness and thoughts about self-harm. It was already a Quarter and a half into the school year, and Zoey had spent many free periods chatting with him. “He is such an intelligent, bright boy. We have to tell his parents, get him a therapist, talk to him...Anything!”

“Zoey, I know you care about him, and we’ll tell his parents, but you have to understand that Wes is not your child. You are his teacher.”

“That doesn’t mean I can just stand by as he’s bullied and neglected by his peers.”

“What’s going on here?” Mr. Lane, the principal, interrupted their discussion, sipping his coffee and nibbling on a jaffa cake. 

“We’re discussing a Mr. Wes Cassle. Do you know the boy?”

“Yes, his mother works at the donut shop in town, I believe.”

“Zoey has expressed concerns to me about his mental health,” Lewis said solemnly.

“Simon, he’s talked to me and he’s always alone and so shy I just want him to be ok, can’t we tell his parents?”

“We’ll call them, but if they don’t think anything is the matter, we can’t force them to do anything.” He led Zoey out of the office and she started back down the hall. She tried to focus on her upcoming lessons, or the dinner Fiona might make tonight, on her fluffy cat hiding in a bunch of their moving boxes, anything but the thought of Wes being alone for another day. Zoey was thinking so hard that she didn’t notice the small woman in front of her.

“Oh dearie. Oh...Crikey, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. You get used to it,” Kim said, laughing quietly. Zoey remembered her from somewhere.

“You’re the new Journalism teacher, aren’t you? I’m Zoey, one of the art teachers.” 

“Oh yeah. Hey. Listen, I’m sorry but I have to hurry back to class. I’m watching a class for Rutherford.” She waved and began shooting down the hall again, leaving Zoey outside her classroom. She walked in, smiling through it all, and informed the class waiting for her that they would begin their pottery unit.


	5. The First of Many Rememberings

Parv watched as Dr. Brindley took to the stage. Most of the school was congregated here, unsure why they had been called to an assembly the first period right after Christmas break. A lot of the teachers didn’t understand what was going on, either...that is until Lewis started speaking.

“Students and faculty, I am sorry for this sudden and, in all truth, unplanned assembly, but a horrible event has come to our attention and we have been asked to share the information with you. Yesterday, a student committed suicide in his family’s home…” The auditorium suddenly became alive with murmurs and mutterings. Parvis couldn’t believe his ears. A kid...killed himself? “Please,” Lewis said, and the crowd quieted, “thank you. It saddens us to declare to you all that Wes Cassle is with us no more.” A few teens gasped, while others whispered to each other. Lewis again called for order. “Our guidance counselors are available if any of you need,” He faltered slightly before ending his sentence, “If any of you need to talk. That is all...teachers, please begin reporting back to your classrooms.” Parv couldn’t help but stare at his shoes as he walked past the stage entrance against the crowd and into the music department. Tom Clark, the other teacher, was leaning against the wall outside his very small and cluttered office.

“My god...I don’t...I’ve never…”

“None of us have. Goddamnit...I didn’t even know the kid and…”

“I know. But we gotta keep a straight face for the other kids...We have to for them, Parv.”

“Right...I’ll be in the band room...if you need me…” He pushed past the double doors and seated himself by the maramba. This room hadn’t changed much...it still had the dull blue walls and the chipped tile flooring. He cursed at himself. Why had he taken the job? He didn’t know how to teach kids! He didn’t know how to help them. He was still so young...he still didn’t know himself. He looked at the forward-right corner, a familiar one to him, and felt himself go back to when he was 15.

Alex Parvis was huddled in the forward-right corner, strumming the guitar in his hands. It was made from smooth wood, and sounded sweet to the ears. He didn’t have enough money for his own guitar, but maybe one day he would. He continued playing, ignoring the two boys that barged in, disrupting his jam session.

“Oi! Ya big babby. I heard you were talking about us be’ind our backs.” Parv looked up at them. It was Sips Lovasv and Sjin Sykes...and they were coming right for him.

“I didn’t...I don’t know who’s lying to you but I didn’t.” Parv pulled himself off the floor, trying to back away from the oncoming boys.

“You callin’ me a liar, Parvis?” Sjin growled under his teeth. His ginger hair fell behind his ears easily, and almost perfectly matched the bright red-brown color of his growing beard. Sips, on the other hand, had almost no hair except a well maintained army buzz-cut and the shadow of someone who didn’t shave every day.

“Nah. I’m just saying you got faulty information.” Parv was trying to keep his voice from stuttering, trying to look tough. He was failing though because he felt his hand shaking horribly in the little cocoons he had made for them in his pockets. Sips moved forward and grabbed him by the shirt collar.

“You better not be talkin’ smack against us, Alex Parvis. Else you wanna bad time. Now, were you the one who tore down Sjin’s picture…”

“W-what?! Course not! Why would I tear your drawing? I’m not even in the same art class as you.”

“That’s not what Jones said. Said he saw you with his own eyes, throwing it in the bin.”

“That w-was your’s?! I sw-sw-swear I didn’t know! Mr. Hallinsby just told me to take the papers d-d-d-down!”

“So you did do it, ya lyin’...” Sips rose his fist to sock Parv in the face, when a deep, tight voice spoke up.

“Let him down, Sips.” The boys looked at the blonde junior standing in front of them. He was wearing a large A and M university sweatshirt, and always seemed to be annoyed by something. “Just let him down. It was obviously an accident.” Sjin growled under his breath and tugged on Sips’ sleeve.

“Come on, Sips. Let’s get out of here.” They left, hands in their pockets and heads down, grumbling to themselves. Parv steadied himself and looked up at the boy. William Strife was the handsomest, smartest, and most sought after boy in the whole school. He was a star chess-player, was on the basketball, baseball, and tennis teams, and was captain of the Quiz Bowl. Parvis was in love with him the second he saw him. But Strife wasn’t into things like relationships. He much preferred books, studying, and the occasional sci-fi or fantasy novel. He knew where he wanted to go to school, what he wanted to do there, and what his career would be...and he was the total opposite of Parv. 

Alex Parvis was a small, ganky 15 year-old who got C’s and D’s in school, was in no clubs, had few to no admirers, and was considered to be the most egotistical and neurotic boy in the grade. But that was because he was alone.

“Th-thank you. But I could’ve easily taken them on myself, you know.” Parv was nervous and shaky, so he said the first thing that popped into his head. Strife wasn’t amused.

“Don’t mention it...Ever.” He shouldered his bookbag and left the music room at a slow stroll. Parv watched as he left and sighed. He never had a chance, and never would.

Parvis was shaken back to the present by Sparkle Clark’s hand. He jolted slightly, a wandered look in his eye. 

“Hey...you ok?”

“Yeah...Come on. I got to get ready for my next class.”


	6. The Spaceman Initiative

Duncan was playing with a top on his desk. It spun, and spun, and spun until toppling over jauntily on its side. The class had just left, eyes wide from not taking in any of the information he had tried to feed them. Wes Cassle was one of his students. He was bright, even if he had problems asking for help sometimes. Duncan couldn’t keep his eyes away from his desk. He couldn’t stop thinking about the curly-haired boy that wouldn’t sit in it ever again. Then he thought about something very different. He thought back, far back. It was like looking in a cloudy mirror, but he could still see to the other side.

“Duncan Jones! Are you daydreaming again?” He was startled to find himself in the old classroom. Mr. Salis was standing in front of him, fat with rolls flowing from under his chin. His yellowing teeth showed signs of smoking, and the tiny nose he had made his entire disposition look pinched towards the middle of his face. Duncan couldn’t stand him, and neither could the rest of the Spacemen Initiative. They were a club of science oriented students who met and conducted business such as inventions, news, and sometimes even the going-ons within the school. Most of them believed that Salis was a “fat bastard” (as Kirin said at one of their meetings by the Smoking Shed) who had no respect for any of the sciences. But, of course, Sjin couldn’t do anything. Behind close doors, the Spacemen were brothers, but the secret society could not break the silent code they knew bound every student, Spaceman or not. “Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“Nothing, sir…”

“Nothing?! I stand up here to try and give you some goddamn information, AND YOU’RE STARING OUT A DAMN WINDOW.”

“Sorry...sir.” Duncan refused to meet his eyes. The damn git didn’t deserve it.

“SORRY DOESN’T PASS THIS CLASS.” He turned and stalked back up to the board where he once again began lecturing about eukaryotic cells. Duncan stared at his notebook, doodles of rocketships and planets in the margins. He swore that if he ever became a teacher, he wouldn’t yell at kids.

Later, he told the Spacemen about what happened.

“S’his own fault,” Ridge muttered under his breath as he lit his cigarette. It was the one place that the security cameras couldn’t see, and the place kids often came to smoke...or sneak out. The Initiative set up headquarters here, slightly because two of them were smokers. It also gave the illusion of secrecy when they couldn’t get together in the abandoned classroom, F21. “I know he’s a lump of cow shit, but he’s still a teacher. We gotta listen to them.

“I’m never gonna yell at a kid if I become a teacher,” he stated, repeating his earlier thought, “What about you Will?”. Strife was leaned up against the chain link fence, watching someone across the yard. He seemed slightly disoriented when his name was said.

“About what…”

“About Salis.”

“He’s got no sense of decency, or humanity. But Ridge’s right. He’s still a teacher.” They all looked up as Kirin and Lewis, the seniors of the group, walked in. “Hey. what’s up.”

“Nothin’,” Kirin said as he leaned against the building. “I heard that Angor was coming by for a smoke. Guess I was wrong.”

“Wrong about at least one thing. That guy can’t go five minutes without a cig between his teeth,” Turps said, rounding the bend. The boys laughed nervously. They understood Turps’ worry. He WAS smoking a lot lately. Duncan shook his head and took an apple from his backpack. “Heard that we’re getting some transfers. At least one out-of-country.” He pulled a cigarette from Ridge’s extended box and twirled it between his fingers. 

“Where from?”

“Sweden, for sure. I also got somethin’ ‘bout a girl who moves a lot...not sure where she’s from...oh, and we’re getting a Dutchie. Hey, Pyrion. Saved one for you.” The young man joined them and took Turps’ cigarette. He quickly lit it and joined Ridge in the safe point.  The others decided to quit crowding around the back of the shed and moved along the fence.

“Anywhere else,” Brindley inquired slowly.

“Nah. Catholic school closed down a couple miles from here. Might get some of them. Other than that, I got no news to print.” 

“I gotta go. I’ve got a lab to complete.” Duncan waved goodbye to his friends as he started back towards the building. The thought of new students sparked his overactive imagination, and he didn’t see the teacher walking slowly in front of him, causing him to crash into them.

“Duncan! Hey, Duncan!” He looked up from where he was staring and nodded to Zylus, who was shaking his shoulder gently.

“Oh...sorry about that. Got a bit carried away in my daydream.”

“Ok. Just thought I’d check up on you. You sure you’re ok?”

“I’m fine, Zylus. Realy. You should head back to your class. I’ve got papers to grade right now.” The Dutchman left his classroom, leaving Jones all alone to keep evading the sight of Cassle’s chair.


	7. SASQOAATCH

Zoey had stayed home the day after break. She was in shambles over Wes Cassle, and Fiona had been quite vehement against the idea of her going to school. So she stayed home, trying to think of good things while wondering what she could have done. It wasn’t her fault. It was no one’s fault, but she still thought it was. Her cup shook slightly as her hand put it down on the counter. She thought about when she got close...when she got so very close.

A younger, quieter Zoey was finishing in the bathroom. This Zoey was often alone, often ignored, often talked about. She never seemed to get the hang of friends. Except during her second year. A quarter or two in, a boy moved to their school. He was a year older than Zoey, and wore a long, purple scarf around his face. Normally, school dress code would dictate he needed to have his full face visible at all times, but he had gotten a special pardon. Rumours spread about how he had an accident when he was younger, but Zoey only thought about he must be from a different dimension with beings that have razor sharp obsidian fangs and a bunch of cool designs on their mouthes. None of the others shared her enthusiasm. Oh, she knew she was unpopular, but she didn’t know how badly everyone hated her.

“It’s just that she’s so  _ weird _ .” Zoey stopped short of leaving the stall she had just finished in. “I mean, my mom knows her mom, and apparently she has drawings of that new exchange student as a monster hanging up in her room.”

“A monster? Shit, she is weird. Plus, what kind of asshole would make fun of that? It’s not his fault he’s got those scars. I don’t even know how she stays in school.

“Ms. Proasheck works for the district. Only reason she can stay.” They left, talking about something else, and Zoey couldn’t help but start crying. She ran from the stall quickly, and hid herself in the janitor’s closet next door. She felt so alone, so unwanted, so different. She wanted to end it there. After months and months of abuse, two girls talking about her behind her back had set her off. Then, before she could think about it anymore, someone opened the door. He had brown hair, and bright green eyes. His hand clutched a pair of headphones while the other held a bag with bright white block letters spelling out, “CENTRAL AREA GUN, ROD, AND BOW CLUB”. He knelt down and looked at her with concern. Sniffling, Zoey tried to hide her face.

“I-I-I’m sorry. I didn’t m-m-mean to be so-so-so loud.” He shook his head and closed the door behind him. The lightbulb above them flickered gently as he dropped the bag and sat next to her. “I...I’m Zoey…” He nodded and pulled a notebook out of his backpack. “What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?” He held up one finger to signal her to wait. He finished and handed her the notebook.

Hi! My name is Jon T. Evans. I am mute, but I could hear you through the door. Are you ok?

“Oh. I’m sorry I didn’t know.” He shook his head and underlined the “are you ok” bit. “I heard some girls talking about me in the bathroom. I know I shouldn’t let them get to my head but...I just...don’t know why I try anymore.” Teep patted her back gently. He scribbled some more down. 

Do you have any friends you could talk to?

“No, no one likes me…” He wrote again.

How about me, then?

She couldn’t help but smile. He beamed at her in return, and helped her out of the cleaning closet.

It was two weeks later when she met Joakim Hellstrand, the Swedish exchange student. Jon had been going out of his way to be with Zoey, knowing she didn’t like being alone. She enjoyed his company deeply, one because he praised her imagination and creativity, and two, let her use him as a mannequin for her constant endeavors into the fashion industry. It was because of their frequent meetings that Joakim began to notice her. Jon was often seated next to him, or partnered with him, mostly because both of them had joined classes after the school year started. Jon couldn’t talk and Joakim was self-conscious of his English. This led to a lot of silence between the two of them. There was the occasion where Joakim had to talk to him.

“I need you to come in to finish that project. Meet me here at…” He stopped trying to remember his time, “12 o’clock in the afternoon.” Jon nodded and walked down the hall, a skip in his step and a whistle on his lips. Joakim watched him leave, and began following him. He didn’t know why, he just wanted to see where he went all the time after 3rd period. He always seemed to slip away at the same time everyday, and it boggled him. The junior walked into the library, with Joakim close behind. He walked right past the front desk and towards a quiet study room in the back. The Swede shouldered his messenger bag and walked towards the door. He heard a light, happy laugh and opened the door. Jon was drawing an eccentric face on the whiteboard while a brown-haired girl watched, trying to guess who it was. They stopped and stared at Joakim. “I-I am sorry. I did not mean to...I did not mean…”

“It’s ok! Hi. I’m Zoey. You must be Joakim then. Teep’s told me a lot about you.”

“H-has he?” The teenager rubbed his hair gently and avoided her eyeline.

“Yeah. For someone who can’t speak, he sure is talkative.” She smiled and Teep nodded excitedly. Joakim dropped his bag and stared at the girl. “I uhm...Do you have class or…”

“Huh? Oh! No, it is my study hall. What do you...are you...uh…” He didn’t know what he wanted to say. “Wait...did you call him...Teep?”

“Yeah. Jon Teppo Evans. I call him Teep.”

“Oh...uh...ok.” She hopped up on the chair and pointed at Joakim. The Swedish boy took a slight.

“What do you think, Teep. Should we knight him?” He nodded, still smiling. Zoey clapped her hands excitedly. “Ok! Joakim Hellstrand...that’s your full name, right?”

“Uh, Joakim Enok Hellstrand.”

“Ok, Joakim Enok Hellstrand, do you swear to uphold the ideals of Creativity, Imagination, and Fun?” She was standing on the table now. Her rainbow skirt matched her wristlets, but clashed against her “The Killers” t-shirt. 

“Uhm...yes.”

“Do you swear to keep the contents of this super awesome secret club a secret, unless you really want to tell someone because let’s face it who wouldn’t wanna join this super awesome secret club…”

“Yes...I think?”

“And do you swear, to never belittle someone for being different.”

“Of course!” 

“Then with the power vested in me, president of the Super Awesome Secret Qlub of Awesomeness and Totally Cool Hippos, I knight you...uh...do you have a name you want to be called.”

“Rythian,” He said quickly. Zoey had a yardstick and shrugged before touching both his shoulders.

“I knight you, Sir Rythian!” She and Teep clapped happily, while Joakim was still unsure about what had just happened. “Welcome to SASQOAATCH.”

“Saskoh-atch?”

“No, it’s pronounced Sasquatch.” 

“Ah. Uhm...alright. Is it just you guys then.”

“Don’t you mean just us guys?” She hopped down from the table with a thud. He bangs scraggled themselves wildly over her eyes. “You’re in Sasqoaatch now.”

“Uhm ok. Is it just us then?”

“Yep! We’re super secretive so we didn’t put posters, though if we did then they were super cool. It’s mostly because most kids stay away from me and Teep.”

“Why’s that?”

“Teep can’t talk and I’m,” she faltered for only one second before finishing the sentence, “Weird.”

“I don’t think you’re weird.” He spurted it out suddenly and uncontrollably. Teep stared at him for a few seconds before looking out the window for a second. His face paled and he pointed outside worriedly.

“They’re here?! You said they were near the shack.” He made a strange noise, like a quiet duck sound and looked towards the closet. “Come on!” She pulled Joakim into the storage room and pushed Teep after him. She climbed in last and shut the door just as he heard voices outside the door.

“And I know it is unrealistic to expect that of some freshman, but I think they could get it. Joakim recognized the voice. It was Sjin Sykes, a boy who he couldn’t stand and couldn’t stand him. The voice that replied wasn’t one he knew.

“No, Sjin. We aren’t asking some freshman to pilfer gas from a Gulf station.”

“Then how do you propose we get energy to make it work. We can’t exactly have it run off coal.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll make sure it is up and running by the day.”

“It better be, or Lewis is going to come after MY neck...man it’s hot in here. Who the fuck turns it up to 85 this time of year?” Joakim glanced at Teep’s pale shape. He always preferred warm weather, sometimes even in excess. 

“Whatever. Where are the others. You sure we’re meeting here today?”

“Positive, unless Ridge needed another smoke...maybe I was wrong, let’s go check.” The pair left the room, leaving Zoey, Teep, and Joakim squished against each other. Someone actually managed to open the door and they spilled into the room.

“Come on, before they come back!” She pulled them towards the door and threw it open. Standing there was the entirety of the Spacemen Initiative.

“Who...what…”

“We were just leaving, sorry to get in your way, sir.”  _ Sir _ ? Joakim shook his head, staring in disbelief at the way Zoey and Teep were not meeting their eyes. Sjin was staring venomously at him, and it took every fiber in his body not to return the look. He didn’t need to start trouble. Ridge stepped forward, jabbing a finger at Zoey.

“What were you doing here, anyways? Don’t you know this is a restricted space? I understand the exchange students but...you’ve should’ve known better,  _ Zozo _ .” Zoey didn’t look at him, merely tugging Teep behind her and moving towards the door. “Hey! Look at me when I talk to you.” She stared at him in the eyes, her bangs still awkwardly drawn over her own. “That’s what I thought. Now get out of here. I don’t want to catch you in here again.” The trio moved out the door as the rest of the boys crowded in. She saw one large, blonde boy stare at her sympathetically before also being herded in. They slammed the door shut, leaving SASQOAATCH in the hallway.

“The nerve of those...those.”

“Leave it, Rythian. We can’t fight them.”

“Why not?! They’re just a bunch of bullies…”

“Because we’re loners, and they’re the Initiative.”

Zoey sipped from her mug, coming back to the present sadly. She thought about the Initiative...about the boys that called her a freak behind her back. How they had made her want to just be done with it...and how they all regretted it. Would the people who bullied Wes feel regret now...or later?


	8. Dr. Hellstrand Arrives

Dr. Hellstrand fixed his tie. He was larger than he was back then, with a full beard and handsome blue eyes. He was married, with a small child, and had just earned his license. After years of schooling in Psychology and Counseling, he could finally begin to help people. Imagine his surprise when his old host school sent him an urgent letter asking for his assistance. Many students were unstable after the death of a classmate, and to prevent further problems within the school, Administration had authorized the hiring of a real therapist. 

Memories wafted back into his head as he saw the same maroon tinted locker doors, some horribly dented from past fights that went south very quickly. He even recognized the one he used his first year there. 

“Dr. Hellstrand! Good to see you again.” Lewis Brindley charged forward, hand outstretched to his old classmate. They shook, staring into each others eyes. “I see you have changed a bit…”

“I’ve changed a lot, actually...Xephos.”

“I...I’m sorry Rythian.”

“It’s Dr. Hellstrand, Brindley. I worked hard for this PhD.” He fixed his tie and started walking towards the offices, Lewis following closely. “What is the status of the average school morale.”

“Low. Ms. Proasheck has been talking to a lot of her students since she has returned.”

“Proasheck...you mean Zoey? She’s working here?” Lewis nodded and waved towards the other end of the school.

“Art teacher...Evans is a special ed guide and teaches American Sign Language.”

“Sheesh, is the entire staff alumni?” Again, Lewis nodded, rubbing his face gently. He chuckled ruefully.

“Yeah, you can’t go into the lounge without feeling like you’re in a class reunion.” Joakim quirked his mouth and walked towards the desk. “Your office is down to the left. It used to be one of the counselor’s...but like I said, we had to downscale our staff. But Administration felt like bringing you as a reference for our students was a good idea.”

“I’m glad.” He put down his bag and dusted off the older computer in the corner of his desk. The walls were a bare, creamy plaster and the actual desk and cabinets were a off-orange stained wood color. He could spruce it up as he went on. “When do the students arrive on Monday?” 

“School starts at 8:15, we prefer teachers arrive around 7:30 when we open the doors of the main school building.”

“Alright. I have my things in the trunk of my car. I’ll just bring them out here now.”

“Ok. Just page Ms. Ferris when you want to come back in.” Lewis turned and walked towards his office, leaving Joakim alone in his office. He felt suddenly quite lonely, like he usually did. He took out his laptop and put it beside the old dinosaur he provided. It held his important files, resources, references, everything...and some of his stories. He had always enjoyed creative writing...and he remembered the first time he shared it with someone.

“And then, the nuke explodes!” Zoey was watching wide eyed as Rythian recounted his story of how she had tried to disarm a nuclear bomb.

“Oooh! Wow! I can’t wait to hear the next part.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure how to end it...I told Teep about my idea for the Twilight Forest and he sketched me this cool landscape piece.” He showed Zoey the picture Teep had drawn. It was very nice and pastel-y, as Zoey would say.

“It’s great either way. Hey, you know Kim?”

“Uhhhhhh. Kim who?”

“Kim Richards.”

“Oh yeah, she’s the kid that moved here last summer.”

“I want to make her a SASQOAATCH member.”

“Wha...I...are you sure, Zoey?”

“Rythian, the whole point of the club was to help outsiders. She doesn’t have any friends, and I think it’ll be fun.”

“Ok…”

“Great!” A few days later, Zoey brought more than just Kim Richards. There was the Dutch exchange student, an American, the one kid that always wore a panda hat and loved animals, his Scottish friend with the frizzy hair, and a small, thin boy with short black hair.

“Zoey! I thought you said one person!”

“Well, yeah, but then everyone else wanted to join!”

“So what is SASQOAATCH anyway?” The Dutch boy spoke up, slightly suspicious of the Swedish teen, Zoey, and Teep.

“It’s the Super Awesome Secret Qlub of Awesome and Totally Cool Hippos!” Teep nodded excitedly, pointing at the logo on the whiteboard. It was a shield with a big Q in the middle and a footprint below it. “It’s uh...just supposed to be us hanging out sometimes.”

“I don’t think the Initiative would like this…They said that friend groups cannot exceed 7 people.” The American spoke now, his arms crossed and eyes looking suspicious at the happy-go-lucky girl in front of him. “They could call us out on conspiracy.”

“Screw the Initiative,” Rythian shouted. They all looked at him in surprise. “Come on you goddamn cowards. You’re going to let a group of teenagers control you? You’re proud British...ok...proud European...ok no you’re American...Uhm...You’re English! And Scottish! Dutch and American! You’re free souls that can’t be kept down by the chains of our dictators!”

“The Swedish Fish is right!” The thin Scottish boy stood up on the table. “They can make us unpopular, but they can’t take our hearts!”

“Ok, Braveheart, we get it.” Rythian patted him on the back. “We can’t let them control us. If we stick together, we may even one day break our bonds. So, are you in SASQOAATCH or not?” Zoey clapped excitedly.

“Great speech Rythian! Ok, how about you, Liam?”

“I’ll join. Hannah might want to too, even though she has a lot of friends.” The others one by one agreed to join their club, and soon Zoey was standing in front of them, hand over her heart. She repeated the oath she had told Rythian, and they all swore. She then knighted them all, Nilesy, Daltos, Zylus, Panda, Parv, and Nanosounds. Rythian admitted that this might be alright...having lots of friends.

And then Joakim tripped over a pothole, sending him sprawling, quite ungracefully, onto the ground. He quickly got up, shaking himself out of his memory, and started walking quickly towards his car, worried that someone might have seen him fall over in such an undignified way.


	9. Confrontation #1

Will was grading his papers, clicking his tongue at the low scores. Tragedy or not, he expected his senior students to work diligently all year. He certainly didn’t give himself a break. He had made it a tradition of sorts to think of his projects while he did the tiring, unending marking of tests and quizzes. But today, he thought about what Parvis had said to him a few weeks or so ago.  _ Such a romantic...such a romantic… _

“He’s such a romantic!” The girl squealed shrilly from across the hall. Strife was at his locker, getting his Trigonometry textbook from the tight cavern of books and paper. It would be a mess cleaning that out at the end of the year...but the girl caught his attention again. She was trying to get it, talking loud enough in fake discrepancy. It annoyed William Strife to no end, when girls tried to get him to talk to them. Much to their utter disappointment, he didn’t care for girls much. He believed many of them were nonsensical, shrilly, powdered...silly girls. He shut the door and locked it before walking down the hallway towards Mr. Finney’s room. While Trig was boring as usual, he noticed the boy he had helped out in the music room. It was the scrawny, dark haired boy with the ego the size of a skyscraper. He quietly asked to be excused and followed him. Parvis was whistling to himself, obviously in one of his strange moods, and walked into the bathroom. There had been whispers around school, whispers about a group of kids massing together. Whispers of a revolution. To adults, they were a couple of catty teens. To themselves, they were nations, battling over the no-man’s land known as CAHS. And if there was a competitor, there was a chance for failure. Pyrion had calculated the percentage, and it was too high to make Will sleep soundly at night. Parvis was the enemy, and everyone knew that every army had rats.

He pushed the door open quietly, making sure not to make any noise, and closed just as stealthily. Outside he had placed a sign reading “OUT OF ORDER”, making sure they wouldn’t be disturbed. Then, Alex Parvis walked out of his stall, still whistling happily to himself. As he washed his hands, Strife moved up behind him.

“Hello, Parvis.”

“Strife! God, don’t do that. You scared the living hell out of me…” He jumped around, wiping his wet hands on his slightly ragged jeans. Strife’s expression didn’t change from his stoney disposition. “I’ll just be...going then…”

“You’re not going anywhere,  _ Alex _ .” The way he said his name made Parv freeze where he stood. A hand grabbed the back of his shirt and pushed him against the bathroom wall. “Are you in the group that’s been forming.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” A hand pressed against his mouth, keeping him from screaming out. Strife stared at him, looking for something in his eyes.

“Parvis,” He growled gently at the smaller teenager.

“I swear I don’t.”

“There is an Initiative forming, and if you know anything about it...you better tell the REAL owners of the school.” Their faces were centimeters apart. Will could see the individual hairs poking off of his head, causing a slightly porcupine-esque look. His brown eyes were clear from fear...and Will thought he could see forever in them...Strife shoved Parv against the wall again, breaking his analysis of his prisoner. “I’m talking to you Parvis! The Spacemen will find this silly little... _ rebellion _ . And when we do, you’re going to wish you had said something.” Will retracted his hand and moved quickly out of the bathroom, leaving Parv alone. He walked down quickly and back into his Trig class. He had barely been gone 5 minutes.

Strife counted the last dashes on the page and wrote down the final score. Another B-...not the worst but also not the best they could have done. Will decided he needed a break and went to the Faculty Lounge.


	10. Battle Plans

Kim looked back at the small, impromptu memorial set up in the garden beside the school. It had a picture of Wes Cassle, protected from the elements by a small tomb of smooth stones. People had lit candles, and the eerie light it made in the dark, January night made it look like a prayer circle. Kim didn’t have any prayers, at least not anymore. Cassle had been such a great kid...how could she not have seen it? He always wrote with a sense of dark beauty, but she always thought that that was because he was an amazing poet. From her coat pocket she produced two sprigs of forget-me-nots, tied together with a black ribbon. She placed them down gently next to the picture, and watched as the candle light waned. A long time ago, she remembered this spot vividly.

“I’m sorry, but he must have found out about SASQOAATCH...I swear I didn’t tell him anything!” Kim was carefully inspecting his bruises. No one wanted to tell a teacher. It would just make things worse.

“It’s ok, Parv, but I think it is time.” Rythian pulled his scarf more tightly around his neck. It was a cold April morning, and a couple SASQOAATCH officers, himself, Zoey, Teep, Nilesy, and another Scotsman, Ravs (who joined after people avoided him because of his tendencies to get into fights, once leaving him with a broken nose). Kim had also found them during her free period and decided to check if Parv was seriously hurt.

“You don’t really think so? We’ve been doing recon for over a month, Rythian. We still have no idea what their weak spot is.”

“Doesn’t matter. We stand up to them, we show kids they aren’t in power.”

“But they ARE in power,” Parv grumble as he pulled his sweatshirt back over his head.

“No, no I think I get what you’re saying,” said Zoey as she took a notebook and began sketching. “They have fake power. Off-brand power. It’s not real. We just think it is.” She turned the page towards them, showing some stick figures in battle. “Ok, here’s the plan. Me, Rythian, and Teep are going to confront them. Then you guys start moving with the crowd towards the confrontation. Then…”

Kim stopped listening at that point. She decided it was best if she and Parv learned it with the rest of the group.

“Ok, so after some brainstorming, we’ve decided we’re going to confront the Initiative.” The classroom awoke with quiet mutterings. It was packed, like always, but they never made a sound in case someone came down to the lower levels of the library.

"How? They’re controlling the entire school? Go against them, and our lives are going to be hell.” Daltos was leaning against the door, suspicious of this new plan. Even after months of talking, reassurance, and honesty, he still had problems believing they all had his back.

“They’ve already made them like that. Every time you’ve been mocked to your face, every time someone frames you to a teacher, every time they push you into the dirt and isolate you, it’s them pulling strings. We have friends. We are free from their controls. Don’t you see? Every time we get together, laugh together, we make sure we uphold why we’re here.” He turned and smiled gently at Zoey from under his covering. “Because we were the ones they decided would be on the short end of the stick. They tugged at our chains too much, and now we’re free. We have no strings anymore.” Rythian climbed on the table and motioned at them. “Look at us. When we came here, most of us thought we’d never be good enough, we’d never have friends. Everyone you see here took an oath, that you would help those who needed help. That you wouldn’t stand to the wayside and watched them do what they did to you. From Zoey and Teep to all of you, SASQOAATCH has been about making sure we’re ok. Now we have to make sure that the school is ok.

Kim started clapping, and so did the rest of them. Zoey looked proudly at Rythian, who had stepped up to the challenge of being cool with everyone. He did so with style as well. Teep was practically jumping up and down in excitement.

“So, tomorrow afternoon, the Initiative is going to be outside, like usual. That’s where we’re going to meet them,” Zoey said. All heads turns towards her as she drew a map on the whiteboard. “We can’t take everyone, or else they’ll know that we’re coming. Me, Teep, and Rythian have agreed that its best we go up to them first. Hopefully, we can attract a crowd. You guys make sure you can see us at all times, ok? Parvis.” She pointed at the boy in the back. “You need to keep hidden. They’re smart. They’ll probably get suspicious stay towards Martyn, ok? Panda?”

“Yes!”

“If a fight breaks out, you need to make sure anyone not participating doesn’t get hurt.”

“Roger.” Zoey rubbed the back of her head. War plans weren’t her strong point. But Teep couldn’t talk, so that was one thing. Kim was filed out with the others, all leaving in opposite directions from the library. She was so anxious for their free-period that she could barely concentrate on any of her work. More than once she thought about the fight. More than once she was afraid of getting socked in the mouth by a senior. But by their 7th period break, she couldn’t think about anything but what this would mean. The Initiative was the top of the pyramid. They didn’t stop bullying, they encouraged it. And more often than not they bullied anyone not like them. Like Kim. She had been so scared, so unsure about this new school. And then the big blonde boy bumped into her. He was nice, goofy, and a little scatter-brained. She thought she had met a friend...until Sjin came up to her, spitting in her face and calling her horrible names. She was pushed, and told never to even look at Duncan Jones again. So she hadn’t, and every time he asked her what was wrong, she merely asked him to get new friends or just walk away. One day he walked away and never came back. But maybe things could change...maybe after today, they might even look each other in the eye.

“Kim!” She turned when a hushed voice called to her from behind a plant by the door.

“Duncan?”

“Listen Kim, I’m sorry about how they treated you...everybody. I left the Initiative.”

“What?”

“Well, all this talk about the group of kids who don’t need to be popular...Kim, I really want to be friends with you, and Simon...and maybe even Rythian. I don’t want to be a part of the group the bullies kids…”

“Duncan...come with me. You’ll want to see something.” She took him by the arm and led him outside.

Kim stood over the memorial and let a single tear drop to the ground before quickly clearing them from her eyes. She thought things could change...maybe she was wrong.


	11. The Return and Creation of YOGS

Zoey stared at the newspaper clip in her hands. It was quite old, faded and torn at the edges. It was short, talking about a small brawl that had occurred at a local high school. She still remembered what it was like.

She, Teep, and Rythian had gone up to the Initiative, smoking in the Blindspot. They stared at them as they neared. Some other kids saw them approaching, and gathered to see what was happening. Ridge stepped forward after crushing his cigarette into the dirt. 

“Hey...what can we do for you.”

“No refunds,” said a ginger-haired kid.

“No snitching,” said a heavily bearded teen.

“No problem!” The third kid was short with shaggy brown hair and an orange sweatshirt.

“Shut up,” Ridge snapped at the three. They slunk back into the group of boys, leaving him standing in front of the newcomers. Before Rythian could say anything, Zoey went up to meet him.

“My name is Zoey...and I don’t like what you do.” The Initiative members bounced off from the wall they were leaning on. Lewis and Kirin stood side by side with Ridge, and created a massive wall in front of the smaller sophomore. Will Strife watched from his spot, not moving, staying in a statue-like stance. “You bully kids who don’t agree with you. You bully and torment, and then you have the nerve to say you protect the school.” The group bristled angrily, and Rythian didn’t dare stand up next to her. She was on a role. “We may be different, but hell, we don’t need you making our lives horrible. So what if Jon can’t talk, and Joakim has scars? Or that Liam and John are eccentric...and I’m...weird…What matters is you can’t just go around forcing kids to do what you want to do.”

Ridge was glaring at her, while Kirin and Lewis were surprised someone would talk to them that way. Strife was still watching, his expression and position unchanged. Ridge finally spoke.

“What makes you think you can talk to us that way?! Maybe if you weren’t a bunch of freaks, then you’d have some friends.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. We’re not alone. We have all the friends we need.” And slowly, as Teep waved them forward, a large chunk of the crowd moved towards them. Daltos, Nilesy, Zylus, Panda, and Minty. Hannah, Ravvs, Kim, Dave, Toby, Martyn, and even Parvis came forward. Duncan was there, standing tall and awkwardly next to Kim. He received glares, and a few whispers of ‘traitor’. They stood behind Teep and Rythian, leaving the Initiative speechless. “We’re asking you, please, please stop bullying kids. How long until someone else dies?” They all stood rigid, except Strife, who walked over to Zoey.

“Cam?”

“Yes…”

“I...We didn’t think.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Zoey had tears in her eyes, and tried to hold them back. Strife looked away, not wanting to look her in the eye.

“I’m sorry.” He turned to Ridge and started talking quietly to his friend. Lewis and Kirin leaned in. Then, suddenly, Ridge’s face drew up very tight and turned a bright red. Before Zoey could comprehend what was happening, Strife was on the ground, clutching his face. “Ow! You hit me!

“Traitor! What happened to the pact we made?! No one else, just ourselves.”

“We were kids, Ridge! Do you really want to do to them what they did to us?” They stared at each other angrily. Then, Ridge got angry again, and Zoey was pushed down. Teep had pulled her to the ground as Rythian ran forward, pulling Ridge off of Strife. Will’s face was bleeding badly as the senior tore down at his inferior. She watched, horrified as Ridge turned onto Rythian, tearing his scarf off of his face. The front row of teens gasped. His face had three, large, moon white scars over his mouth, but Rythian didn’t seem to notice. He grappled with Ridge, until Sjin ran forward and began to hit Rythian with Ridge. Then Sips joined in, and Lewis and Kirin were struggling to keep the rest of the Initiative from pounding on the Swedish exchange student. Zoey couldn’t remember much, only Teep leading her, Nilesy, Daltos, and Zylus away with some freshmen. She could see Kim’s head pop up as she socked Sjin in the mouth, and Duncan struggling with Lewis to separate the two groups. Rythian managed to jump over the fence and get away from the kids trying to tear him apart, and about 7 kids were suspended, including Ridge, Rythian, Sjin, Kim, and Duncan. The other two were onlookers, no one Zoey could recognize. But what happened afterwards was even more shocking.

“Zoey. We’ve disbanded.” She looked up at Will, Lewis, and Kirin Dave. They were standing in front of her as she studied for her chemistry test, and looked very, very sorry. “The Initiative was a gut reaction because we were...we were treated very well in middle school. It was a mistake and...we’ve promised never to do what we’ve done again.” He stood there, sulking and embarrassed. They had become what they never thought they would be. Zoey stood up and wrapped her arms tightly around Lewis.

“It’s alright. I don’t think any of us need to be alone anymore…”

“Ye Olde Goon Squad?” She blinked when she heard the old club name. It was like from a memory a long time ago.

“Ye Olde Goon Squad,” she whispered with determination. Zoey couldn’t help but smile as she put the article away. Behind her was a bulletin board, covered in pictures and articles. One talked about a teen group planting trees, and  another about a christmas fundraiser for a charity. There was a crayon drawing of a mage with sharp, pointy teeth, a dinosaur, and a girl with a robotic arm. Pictures of parties, projects, and just natural fun were also cluttered there. She looked up from her desk when Dr. Hellstrand.

“Zoey?”

“Rythian!” She leapt forward and hugged him, happy to see her old friend. “How has it been? The students I mean.”

“Ah...so many lonely kids...just like when we were teenagers.”

“Just like when we were...Rythian! I mean…” She giggled to herself, “Dr. Hellstrand. I have an idea.”

“Yes, and those  _ always _ end well.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“It is my privilege to announce the opening of the Yogscast!” Simon cut the red ribbon and stepped aside as cameras flashed and people clapped. Zoey couldn’t help but smile. It was almost a year after Wes passed, and the school had failed. They closed it down, and the kids were sent to a public school a couple miles away. But, none of the teachers really cared. They now had created a clinic in town, called YogTowers, and many received training in therapy. It had all been Zoey’s idea, and Lewis thought it was pretty good to. Most of them agreed, they had been shit teachers.

“Congratulations, babe!” Fiona patted her partner on the back, smiling broadly. 

“I couldn’t have done it without you, and an entire faculty.” She walked in slowly. It was small, slightly dingy, but the first room you walked into had bright colors, pictures drawn by kids who donated them to the Yogscast. And then, there was a bulletin board, full of newspaper articles and pictures. Below it was a small bronze plaque.

_ In Loving Memory of  _

_ Wes Cassle _

_ Cameron Poltok  _

Zoey hugged Fiona tightly. She never imagined she could do this, maybe provide a smile on the faces of kids who deserved to be happy. So what if it didn’t pay well? Seeing them smile was good enough. Lewis came up behind her, as did Rythian, Duncan, Sjin, Sips, and many others. They looked at the office building they had bought, through fundraisers and grants. It was beautiful. Old, dusty, broken, and beautiful. 

  
  


_ NEW KIDS CLUB CAPTURES TOWN _

_ Zoey Proasheck was an art teacher at the late Central Area High School, and after the death of one of her students, she was determined to make sure that the teenagers of the Central Area had somewhere to go. This is how the Yogscast, a group of adults determined to make others’ lives better, came to be. YOG is a new program by the government to create a safe environment for teens who may be having personal problems, and stands for  _ **_Youths and Overwatch Guardians_ ** _ program, and it is becoming quite popular in the Central Area. _

_ “It’s amazing! I thought I wouldn’t be able to see my friends anymore, but now we can come hang out at YogTowers,” says Charlotte Branston, a 16 year old currently attending St. Anne’s Catholic School for Girls, “They have tutoring, ping-pong, games, it’s really good.” Charlotte isn’t the only area teen excited about this new program. Tom Thorpe used to go to Central Area High School, and was a friend of the boy that died. _

_ “Wes Cassle was quiet, didn’t get out of the house much. And I know other kids with nothing to do. Now we have somewhere to go, you know?” Thorpe also talked about the therapy sessions that are available at the new YogTowers. “I knew Dr. Hellstrand when he was at CAHS. He can really help you feel positively about yourself, and I couldn’t think of anyone else that can make me smile like Zoey.” While Dr. Hellstrand declined to comment on the new program, Dr. Lewis Brindley answered in his stead. _

_ “We always believed that a kid’s mentality is a fragile thing. As teachers, we saw but couldn’t help much. Now we may do some good.” _

_ YogTowers opened to the public on April 12th, and will remain open all year long. For more information about the YOG program, call this number: _

_ 1-800-963-1820 _

Zoey clipped the article onto the bulletin board and smiled, and kept smiling for a long time.


End file.
